Trace-fastener.



0. P. BLOOM. TRACE FASTENER,

APPLICATION FILED AP RJZ, 1910.

Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

W. .w a

Cfiarzs E EJ001 72 CHARLES E. BLOOM, OF BRADY, NEBRASKA.

TRACE-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

Application filed April 12, 1910. Serial No. 555,007.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. BLOOM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brady, in the county of Lincoln and State of Nebraska, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Trace-Fasteners, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in trace fasteners and has forits object the provision of a device of that kind adapted to be appliedto the ends of a whifiletree to engage with the rear ends of the tracesand securely hold the same against accidental disengagement from thewhifiietree.

One object of the device is the provision of a sliding sleeve arrangedupon the ferrule at the end of a whifiietree, the said sleeve beingprovided with a bayonet slot one portion of which has a curved side toengage with a pin carried by the whifiietree or ferrule, and when soengaging to clamp the end of the sleeve over the end of the tug hook,whereby outward movement of the trace end in engagement with a tug hookwill be positively prevented.

lVith these and other objects in view, which will more fully hereinafterappear, the present invention consists in certain novel details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointedout in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification;-Figure 1 is a side elevation of one end portion of a whiflle treeprovided with my improved device. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionalview of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective of the sleeve.

Similar numerals of reference are em ployed to designate correspondingparts throughout.

The whiiiletree is designated by the numeral 5 and is of well-knownconstruction. The device about to be described is shown positioned onone end of the whiflietree. It will be understood, however, that theopposite end will be provided with a similar device. As shown in thedrawings the end of the whiflietree is tapered, and fitted over the saidtapered end is a ferrule 6, the outer end of which is provided with atrace tug 7. The ferrule is fixedly secured on the whittletree by meansof a screw 8 the threaded shank of which extends through an opening inthe upper side of the ferrule and into the whiffletree. A portion of theshank of the screw 8 extends upwardly from the ferrule, so that the head9 of the said screw will be considerably spaced from the surface of theferrule for a purpose to be presently described.

The locking sleeve comprises a tubular element designated in general bythe numeral 10 and is somewhat less in length than the length of theferrule and of a diameter to nicely receive the free end portion of theferrule. The sleeve is closed at one end, as shown at 11, the saidclosed end being elliptical in contour and provided on its inner surfacewith a rubber or resilient cushion designated by' the numeral 12.

Formed in the sleeve 10 and adjacent to the closed end thereof are apair of oblong transverse spaced openings designated by the numerals 13and 14:. The position of these openings is such that when the closed end11 of the sleeve bears on the end of the tug 7, the said openings willbe in alinement with the shank of the tug. The openings are somewhatgreater in length than the width of the ordinary trace and the metalbetween the said openings is bulged outwardly, as shown at 15.

Formed in the sleeve 10 and between one of said openings and the innerend of the sleeve is a bayonet slot. One portion of this slot extendslongitudinally of the sleeve and is in alinement with the portionbetween two adjacent ends of the said oblong openings, as shown at 16,the end of the slot adjacent to the said oblong openings terminating ina lateral extension 17 extending to a point substantially in alinementwith the medial portion of one of said ohlong openings. The lateralextension 17 of the bayonet slot is so positioned that when the closedend of the sleeve bears on the tug 7 the stud 8 will be in alinementwith the said lateral extension, whereby turning movement of the sleevewill lock the parts in such position that the cushion 12 on the innerface of the closed end 11 will bear on the end of the tug 7 It will beobserved now by reference to the drawings that the sides of the lateralextension 17 of the bayonet slot curve outwardly and inwardly, withrespect to the outer and inner ends of the sleeve and when it isremembered that the screw 8 is at the juncture of the slots 16 and 17and the cushion bears on the extremity of the tug 7, it will be evidentwhen the sleeve is turned laterally that by virtue of the curved sidesthe cushion 11 will be depressed against the extremity of the tug untilthe screw is at the end of the extension 17. It will be further observednow by reference to the drawings that the inner end of the extension 17,or that remote from the slot 16 is provided on its inner side with asocket 18 to receive the screw 8, after the screw is at the inner end ofthe extension 17 since it will be obvious that the resilient cushion 12will by its own resiliency move the sleeve outwardly when the screw isin alinement with the socket.

In the use of the device and when it is desired to apply atraee to thetug the sleeve is moved outwardly until the shank of the bolt 8 is atthe inner end of the portion 16 of the slot. \Vhen the parts are sopositioned the openings 13 and 14 will be in vertical alinement andbeyond the tug 7, thus permitting the rear end of the trace to beinserted through the openings after which the sleeve is moved inwardlyuntil the tug passes through the cockeye of the trace and bears on thecushion 12, after which the sleeve is turned forwardly until the bolt 8is at the inner end of the extension 17, whereupon the parts will belooked as before described.

From the foregoing, it is evident that I have provided a device which iscomparatively simple in structure and inexpensive in manufacture,embodying few parts and these so arranged that the danger of derangementwill be reduced to a minimum.

I claim 1. In a trace fastener the combination with a whill'letreeprovided at one end with a tug hook and further provided with a radialstud adjacent to the said hook, of a sleeve slidingly fitted on one endportion of said whifl'letree having trace openings adjacent to its outerend and further provided with a bayonet slotto receive said stud, saidbayonet slot cooperating with the stud to lock the sleeve in suchposition that the trace openings will be in alinement with the tug hook.

2. A trace fastener comprising a ferrule provided at one end with a tughook, and further provided adjacent to the said tug hook with a radialstud, a sleeve slidingly fitted on the ferrule and closed at its outerend and provided adjacent to said closed outer end with trace openings,said sleeve being further provided with a bayonet slot to receive saidstud, said slot and stud operating to lock the trace openings in alinement with the tug hook and the closed end of said sleeve bearing onsaic. tug hook.

3. A trace fastener comprising a ferrule terminating at one end in a tughook having an elongated shank provided with an oblong head, and furtherprovided with a radial stud adjacent to said tug hook, a sleeveslidingly fitted on said ferrule having a closed end and furtherprovided adjacent said closed end with trace receiving openings, saidsleeve being further provided with a bayonet slot to receive said stud,one portion of said slot extending longitudinally of the sleeve andpermitting the closed end of the latter to be moved into and out ofengagement with the head of said tug hook, the other portion of saidbayonet slot extending transverse the sleeve and cooperating with thestud to clamp the closed end of the sleeve on the head of the hook.

t. In a trace fastener the combination with a ferrule provided at oneend with a tug hook, and further provided adjacent said tug hook with aradial stud: of a sleeve to receive said ferrule having one end closedand provided with a trace opening,'a cushion on the inner face of theclosed end of the sleeve, said sleeve being further provided with atransverse slot to receive the stud, said slot having curved sides toengage with the stud and operating to move the said cushion into bindingengagement with the said tug hook.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES F. BLOOM.

\Yitnesses T. L. ORotfnnn, P. B. Broom.

